Mercer Arboretum hosts annual March Mart Plant Sale

Published 6:47 am, Friday, February 24, 2012

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens is excited to announce the 2012 March Mart Plant Sale scheduled for Friday, March 23, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, March 24, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Members of The Mercer Society can shop early at a March Mart “Members Only” sale on Thursday, March 22. VIP members can shop from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and TMS members can shop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information on becoming a TMS member, and to learn the varying levels of membership, visit Mercer’s website at www.hcp4.net/mercer/marchmart.

The first March Mart plant sale took place in 1974 as a means to raise funds for the then 1-year-old arboretum. The first sale consisted of donated plants that local garden club members dug up from their yards and delivered in old coffee cans or milk cartons. The sale has grown considerably over the years and now offers approximately 1,200 species of plants including annuals and perennials, fruit trees, gingers, herbs, natives, roses, shade plants, trees and shrubs, tropicals, vegetables and vines.

One of the largest plant sales in Texas, this two-day sale attracts about 6,000 shoppers each year. Bring a wagon; green thumbs are optional.

March Mart is sponsored by The Mercer Society, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. The sale is operated by more than 150 volunteers, many of whom are certified Master Gardeners who can answer a variety of gardening questions. Additionally, volunteers grow and care for the plants sold at March Mart year-round. In fact, they often begin growing new plants just a few weeks after the sale ends to prepare for the next year’s sale.

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, a Harris County Precinct 4 facility under the leadership of Commissioner R. Jack Cagle, is located at 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, one mile north of FM 1960. To obtain additional information, contact Mercer at 281-443-8731, or visit www.hcp4.net/mercer.